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BRICK MACHINE ATTACHMENT. No. 326,287. Patented Sept. 15, 1885. Fieyw, j

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIS N. GR AVES, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THE HYDRAULIC PRESS BRICK COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

BRICKNIACH|NE ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION Aforming part of Letters Patent No. 326,287, dated September 15, 1885.

Application filed J anual-y v22, 1885. (No model.)

.To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WrLLis N. GRAvEs, of the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri,

.have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Brick-Machine Attachments, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this speciiication, and in which- Figure 1 is a top view of the valve-box of a hydraulic brick-machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of my attachment, taken on line 2 2, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a transverse horizontal sectiontaken on line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on line4 4, Fig. 5, showing the cylinder, lever-detent, and arm in side View. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on line 5 5, Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on line 6 6, Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a transverse section taken on line 7 7, Fig. 4; and Fig. 8 is a modification.

My invention relates to an attachment more particularly intended forhydraulic brick-machines, such as is shown and described in Letters Patent of the United States No. 195,169, issued September 11, 1877, to Ethan Rogers, and such as is shown and described in my application for improvement in brick-machines, filed herewith, and numbered 153,658. invention consists in features of novelty hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in thc claims.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a valve-box supplied with valves arranged and operating the same as in the patent and my application referred to, -(that is, where it differs from one it corresponds with the other,) and as I do not make any claim to it, per se, in this application it will be unnecessary to describe it further.

B represents the rock-shaft, C C', the arms secured to the shaft, and D, the detent or trip, which are shown and described in the abovementioned patent, and lettered, respectively, I have made no change in these parts, except a lever, D', is formed upon the detent that terminates in a handle by which the detent can be operated by hand, and back of the lever is a spring, D2, to force the detent down after it has been raised.

This invention relates to the means for lifting this detent to release the arm C at the proper time (that is, when the followers or plungers of the machine have approached each other within a certain distance irrespective of their positions in the mold) for the purpose of producing bricks of uniform thickness.

G represents part of the upper, and H part of the lower, follower. I represents a liquidcylinder for the upper, and J a 1iquid-cylinder for the lower, follower, provided with plungers or pistons I' and J', and connected by a port 0r pipe, L. I have shownthem secured to a casting, M, provided with a perforated wing or projection, M', by which it is made fast to a suitable support, and I have shown a port in the casting for connecting the cylinders; but the cylinders may be a distance apart, supported by any suitable means, and connected together by a pipe. Itis only necessary that a communication be made between the cylinders, and that they be so arranged that their respective plungers will be operated upon by the respective followers of the ma chine.

N represents a bracket secured to the upper follower, provided with a setscrew, N', between which and the upper end of the plunger I' is a rod, N2, passing through a support, N3. (See Fig. 2.) By this arrangement the plunger I is forced into the cylinder I on the descent of the upper follower, and when the follower rises the plunger is permitted to rise, lifting the rod N2. Connected to the lower follower is a bracket, O, with a setscrew,-O, bearing against the lower end of the plunger J', to raise the plunger as the follower ascends. Thus as the followers approach each other in the mold the plungers are forced into the cylinders and the liquid displaced or forced out through a pipe, P, (connected to one of the cylinders,) into a cylinder, T, provided with a piston or plunger, T', the upper end of which bears against the under side of the detent D, or a set-screw, D3, passing through the detent. entering this cylinder forces its plungers up, which disengage the detent from the arm C, permitting the shaft B4 to rock as and for the purpose stated in said patent, the followers then commencing to ascend together, the bricks being finished. Vhen the followers have f1nished their upward movement and the lower one descended again, the pressure beneath the The liquid plunger T ceases, and the liquid is forced back through the pipe P by the descent of the plunger T', which is forced down by the detent.

To compensate for loss of liquid, I connect a cylinder, U, with that T, and provide it with a plug, U', having a wheel, U2, or other means for turning it. It either screws into the cylinder from one end, or, as shown in Fig. 4, is formed to receive a screw-rod, V, made fast in the other end of the cylinder, so that as it (the plug) is turned it will be moved inward to compensate for loss of liquid, thereby insuring a uniform operation of the detcnt. All of these cylinders are provided with stuifing-boxes to prevent as much as possible the escape of liquid. Vhen the followers have approached each other within a certain distance in the mold-say two and one-fourth inches, if that is the thickness desired for the bricks-the detent will be operated as described, and this regardless of the position of the followers in the mold-that is, they may be nearer the top or the bottom of the mold one time than another, one entering the mold farther than the other. As soon as they come within this given distance of each other the detent will be raised. If one follower should enter the mold farther than the other, the plunger lof that follower will be made to enter its cylinder farther than the other, so that exactly the same amount of liquid is forced through the pipe P each time the followers come within this given dist-ance of each other.

My invention could be applied to any machine where two followers or forces are arranged to approach each other within a given distance and then stopped by the operation of a trip or similar device. Both plungers could be placed in one cylinder by making it quite long and connecting the pipe P to the center or middle of it. (See Fig. S.)

I am aware that brick-machines have before been provided with means for actuating a trip, and thereby cutting off the pressurefluid which moves the followers when said followers have approached to a given distance asunder, whereby all of the bricks turned out by the machine are of the same thickness. This, therefore, I do not claim, broadly, as my invention. 4

I claim as my inventionl. In a brick or similar machine, two plungers working in a liquid cylinder or cylinders, one of which is adapted to be moved by the upper and the other by the lower follower to displace the liquid and actuate a trip, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a brick or similar machine, two liquidcylinders connected by a pipe or port and provided with plungers, one of which is adapted to be moved by theupper and the other by the lower follower, to force the liquid through a pipe common to both cylinders to actuate a trip, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. Inabrick or similar machine, two liquidcylinders connected by a pipe or port and provided with plungers, one of which is adapted to be moved by the upper and the other bythe lower follower, to force the liquid through a pipe common to both cylinders into a cylinder provided with a plunger adapted to throw a trip when operated, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a brick or similar machine, the combination of three liquidcylinders provided with plungers, two of the cylinders being connected by a pipe or port and their plungers adapted to be operated by the followers of the machine, and the third cylinder being connected to the two former by a pipe common to all, through which the liquid is forced as the followers of the machine vapproach each other, to operate a trip and arrest the approaching movement of the followers, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a brick or similar machine, the combination of two liquid-cylinders connected by a pipe or port, plungers in said cylinders adapted to be operatedby the followers of the machine, liquid-cylinder connected to the follower-cylinders by a pipe common to both, plunger in said cylinder, and trip adapted to be operated by the plunger as the liquid is forced into its cylinder from the follower-cylinders by the followers approaching each other, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a brick or similar machine, the combination of two liquid-cylinders connected by a pipe or port and provided with plungers adapted to be moved by the followers of the machine, a liquid -cylinder provided with a plunger and connected to the said followercylinders by a pipe, a trip adapted to be operated by the plunger as the liquid is forced intoits cylinder from the plunger-cylinders by the followers approaching each other, a cylinder communicating with the trip-cylinder, and an adjustable plug fitting in said cylinder to compensate for loss of oil, subst-antially as shown and described, for the purpose set forth.

7. In a brick or similar machine, the combination of two liquid-cylinders connected by a pipe or port and provided with plnngers adapted to be moved by the followers of the machine, a liquidcylinder provided with a plunger and connected to the said followercylinders by a pipe, a trip adapted to be operated by the last-mentioned plunger as the liquid is forced into its cylinder from the follower-cylinders as the followers approach cach other, and a plug fitting in one end of a cylinder communicating with the trip-cylinder, and formed to receive a threaded rod made fast to the other end of its cylinder, substantially as shown and described, for the purpose set forth.

wiLLIs N. GRAVES.

In presence of- GEO. H. KNIGHT, Sarti.. KNIGHT.

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